The Internet has made our life much easier, we can find anything with just one click. Just like me, I know you are a worried mommy or daddy too. We want to teach our kids everything which we couldn’t learn, we want to see them reaching the sky, we want them to be their best version, and for that, it is important for them to learn new techniques and new technology. Learning to code is an essential skill a child could have from an early age.
Coding helps them to develop intellectual thinking, Sharpen their mind and build a positive impact on their lives like they always want to find out a solution instead of running from the problem.
What is Coding?
Before jumping to a conclusion, we must know what is coding and why it is beneficial for our kids to learn to code? It is a programming language that helps Us order commands to the computer to get a demanding outcome. A way to communicate with the computer, as we do in different languages such as English, French, Spanish, and many more. We Communicate through different languages with different people but with computers, We communicate through programming language to give commands to the computer to perform a relevant task. Through this, we can create computer software, Different Apps, Video games, and websites.
Why it is Beneficial For kids?
Whenever we hear the word coding, we always thought that it must be very tough for a kid to learn a programming language, right? But it’s not like what we think, I know I know it’s neither a piece of cake, but it’s fun to learn and experience that language which only a computer can understand. In Today’s world, It is an essential skill to help your kids develop creativity, project management, problem-solving, and much more from an early age. It not only helps your kids in mathematics but also helps them in creative thinking, instead of running from the problem they will try to find a solution in a logical and creative way.
It is not just beneficial for their early age but this is the skill that assists them along the road in life. When kids learn to code, they eventually made mistakes over and over, but whenever they try again, they always learn something from their previous mistakes. So, in this case, they develop the skill from an early age to learn from their mistakes and their failure and never give up. Trust me, When you introduce it to your kid they will start loving it because it is a way to make things happen. They can create games, apps, websites, and much more.
There are a few tips to help you introduce your kids to code.
- Start with Pattern learning, Ask your kids to solve a pattern this will help them to maintain the things in order.
- At First, Try to make them learn coding in different ways you can start with lego, Ask them to make something in Pattern with the help of legos it will develop creative thinking in them.
- You can also give them a cup stacking algorithms task, a great way to introduce them to code.
- Debugging Coding Games is an interesting way to teach the kids about problem-solving. It is a game in which the kid has to find the correct one to fix the wrong one.
- There are also plenty of worksheets you can find online, created just to help your little ones with the code.
7 legit online platforms to learn to code for free.
Before starting actual learning and paying fees to make your child learn to code. I suggest you go with the free trials and first try to develop an interest in coding.
There are many platforms for kids to learn how to code, Some of them are mentioned below.
ScartchJr
Well, to be very honest ScartchJr is the best platform to make your child learn how to code. The website itself has amazing features created just for young kids (ages 5-7) so they can create their own immersive stories and games by themselves. It has a graphical programming block feature that is really simple to follow, and a child can make characters move, jump, sing and dance. They can also add their voice, sounds, and pictures and can make their character comes to life with the help of programming blocks.
Their free app is available for iPhones, Andriod, and Chromebook.
Coder Kid.
Coderkids.com is also a great platform to start your kid’s coding journey. This Platform offers Online, On-demand, and in-person classes, as per your choice. You can start with their free on-demand coding course in which they give a brief introduction to ScratchJr, and will teach you how to set up ScratchJr and help you to do 2 or 3 projects on your own.
So, if your child won’t know How to use Scratch or ScratchJr, you can start with CoderKid and make Scratch easy for your Child.
Code.org
Code.org is a non-profit organization supported by Microsoft, Amazon, Google, and many more. Their main agenda is to help kids to learn computer science and technology for free. So those parents who cannot afford the expensive fees can get benefit from such platforms to make their children learn new technologies, especially programming. Code.org also organizes Hour of Code annually which includes 15% of students from all over the world.
LightBot.com
LightBot.com is something that is simple and flexible to use. If you want your child to engage in coding activities while playing games and actually enjoying it lightBot.com is for you. LightBot helps you learn Overloading, Procedures, Sequencing, Recursive Loops, and Conditionals with just a single app. It is basically a puzzle-solving game with programming which help kids to understand and develop problem-solving skills.
You can download their App from Google Play Store, the App Store, and Amazon Apps.
CodeCombat.com
CodeCombat.com provides learning with fun. It is a platform where kids can learn programming through games, they have innovative game-based learning technology to make code fun for kids. Currently, they are teaching two programming languages Phyton and JavaScript in their course. According to them Phyton is beginner-friendly and currently used by major corporations such as Google.
JavaScript is a language used to build almost every website. But according to them if you are a beginner and new to coding they recommended going with Phyton.
They have paid and free versions obviously paid one is an upgrade but the free version provides an introduction to computer science. It contains 39 levels and helps the kid to learn the basic syntax, strings, loops argument, parameters, and variables.
KhanAcadmey.com
KhanAcadmey.com is a huge platform for online learning. They do not just offer the free coding course, they also offer Maths, Biology, science, arts and humanities, Reading and language art, and much more. It’s the highest applauded website for free e-learning for every age.
They recently launched their computing course, which offers computer programming and provides a vast variety of languages including JavaScript, HTML/CSS, SQL (Querying and managing data), and much more.
Their videos are entertaining and fruitful so the kids won’t get bored and can hooked to them. KhanAcadmey is available all over the world and you can learn from anywhere in the world.
CodeMonkey.com
CodeMonkey.com is amazing as its name. The Website has filled with amazing online games for free to introduce a kid into the world of coding. The Unforgettable Tales designed by CodeMonkey.com, in this game students need to help reunite twin baby monkeys who Were separated after an earthquake, and in this journey, they have to cross different ways and tackle different coding concepts as they rebuild a baby monkey’s pathway back home. A great way to quickly start your kid’s coding journey.
CodeMonkey.com offers 250 free games and challenges to conquer the basics and to unlock all 400 challenges you can get their paid plan.
In the end, here are five tips for helping kids become coding experts:
- Start with simple coding exercises. Kids love to see results quickly, so start with exercises that are easy to follow and that produce tangible results.
- Encourage kids to experiment. Kids love to figure out how things work, so encourage them to try different coding techniques and see what happens.
- Let kids share their work. Kids love to see their work translated into real-world applications, so let them share their projects with friends and family.
- Make coding fun, Kids love to learn in a fun and engaging way, so make coding fun by incorporating games, puzzles, and other activities.
